Display manifold



Nov. 15, 1966 s. RAEL DISPLAY MANIFOLD Filed July 9, 1965 2 \ll 29 L254 29 26 INVENTOR 5'04 FA EL BY. T l a dam/0 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,285,249 DISPLAY MANIFOLD Sol Rael, 141-34 73rd Terrace, Flushing, N.Y. Filed July 9, 1965, Ser. No. 470,710 Claims. (Cl. 129-40) The present invention relates generally to improvements in display devices and it relates in particular to an improved album device of the type employing a plurality of transparent envelopes hinged in a mutually overlapping offset arrangement.

In the storing of snapshots, photographs and the like flat sheet objects, it is most common to employ a multiplepage album and to mount the snapshots or photographs on the faces of the album pages either by means of an adhesive or other fastening arrangements. The use of such types of albums involves numerous drawbacks. The snapshots, as the flat sheet objects will be referred to herein, are difficult and frequently awkward to mount, the capacity of the album relative to its size is small, the snapshots are subject to wear and often are diflicult to view conveniently. In order to overcome these difficulties, the snapshots have been inserted in back-to-back pairs in transparent open-ended envelopes or flat sleeves and are viewable through the opposite walls of the envelopes. The envelopes are hinged along their upper edges by means of hinge rods extending therethrough and are arranged in overlapping vertically offset relationship permitting the flipping of successive envelopes to afford visual access to opposite faces thereof. While this type of arrangement possesses many advantages it nevertheless still leaves much to be desired. The mounting of the hinge rods and the association thereof with the respective envelopes is generally awkward and unsatisfactory and frequently results in longitudinal movement of the envelopes, with consequent damage to the contents thereof.

It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved display device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved album for snapshots, photographs and the like flat sheet objects.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved snapshot album of the type comprising a plurality of hinged successively offset overlapping envelopes for housing the snapshots and providing selective visual access thereto.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a display device of the above nature characterized by its simplicity, convenience, low cost, ease of use and versatility.

The above and other objects of the present invention will in part be specifically pointed out hereinbelow and in part will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a display assembly constructed according to and embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary rear perspective view of a hinge rod-engaging strip employed in the display assembly;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 33 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, the mounting envelopes being illustrated in a reverse flipped condition.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of a display device comprising a pair of parallel, longitudinally-extending, laterally-spaced support "strips having longitudinally-spaced pairs of laterally-aligned sockets formed in the confronting faces thereof and laterally inwardly directed lugs positioned between successive of said sockets, and hinge rods having opposite ends engaging respective pairs of laterally-aligned opposite sockets.

According to a preferred form of the present display device invention, there is provided a backing sheet provided with side apertures to permit its mounting in a ring binder. The hinge rod-support strips are secured to the backing sheet and the hinge rod-engaging sockets are defined by lateral grooves formed in the underfaces of the strips and communicating with the inner confronting faces thereof. The lugs between successive grooves are in the shape of inwardly directed fingers having rear- Wardly diverging longitudinally opposite faces. The hinge rods are formed of flexible wire and extend through and along the upper edges of open-ended envelopes which are formed of semi-rigid transparent sheet material and are in overlapping longitudinally offset arrangement.

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved display device which includes a rectangular backing sheet or panel 11 formed of heavy paper, cardboard, or other suitable material. Backing sheet 11 is provided along a side edge thereof with longitudinally-spaced apertures 12 reinforced by grommets 13 to facilitate the securing of one or more of the display devices 10 in a ring binder of conventional construction.

A pair of parallel, laterally-spaced longitudinal hinge rod-engaging strips 14 are positioned along the outer side edge of backing sheet 11 and along a line a short distance inwardly of apertures 12, and extend substantially from the upper edge of the backing sheet 11 to points spaced from the lower edge thereof a distance approximately equal to the height of the associated housing envelopes,

in the illustrated embodiment somewhat below the medial transverse axis of backing sheet 11. Strips 14 are secured to backing sheet 11 in any suitable manner, such as by rivets or grommets 16 registering with spaced holes 17 formed in the strips 14- and back sheet 11 and upset at their ends to lock the strips 14 to the backing sheet. Strips 14 are advantageously formed of an organic thermoplastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or the like, by injection molding or by any other suitable process.

Each hinge rod-engaging strip 14 includes a flat rear face 18 overlying backing sheet 11, and is provided with regularly longitudinally-spaced, inwardly directed fingers or lugs 19 separated by intervening rectangular recesses 20 having flat vertical inner bases 21. Fingers 19 and bases 21 of opposing strips 14 are in lateral alignment. Formed in the underface 18 of each strip intermediate successive fingers 19 are rectangular grooves 22 which extend from the base 21 of each recess 20 to points spaced inwardly of the outer side faces of the strip 14. Grooves 22 delineate, with backing sheet 11, longitudinally-spaced pairs of laterally-aligned hinge rod-engaging sockets 23. Fingers 19 are of trapezoidal cross section, the opposite lateral faces 24 thereof being flat and diverging rearwardly from a front face 26 coplanar with the front face of strip 14 to a rear face 27- coplanar with rear face 18 of said strip.

Display 10 includes a plurality of flat rectangular envelopes or housing sleeves 28 open at their side edges and closed at their top and bottom edges. Sleeves or envelopes 28 are formed of clear transparent semi-rigid sheet or film such as of cellulose acetate, cellophane, Mylar or the like. The width of each envelope 28 is slightly less than the lateral distance between bases 21 of opposing recesses and greater than the distance between the free ends of opposite fingers 19, preferably by at least the length of a finger 19.

A hinge rod 29 extends laterally through each envelope 28 along the upper edge thereof and is formed of resilient wire. The length of hinge rod 29 is approximately equal to the distance between the inner ends of a corresponding pair of laterally-spaced grooves 22. The ends of binge rods 29 thus register with groove sockets 23 and swingably support the envelopes 28 which, in their normal position, are in successive overlapping longitudinal offset relationship as illustrated in FIGURES 1, 3 and 4. In assembling the evelope-engaging hinge rods with the respective pairs of sockets 23, one end of a rod 29 is inserted in one of an opposing pair of sockets 23, the rod is bowed and the other end thereof is brought into registry with the other socket 23, and the hinge rod is then released to effect the engagement of the other end thereof by said other socket 23.

In employing display assembly 10, the snapshots or other material are housed in the envelopes 28 and are visible through the opposite faces of the envelopes. Any selected envelope 28 may be viewed by flipping the next successive overlying envelope upwardly or rearwardly which flips the remaining overlying envelopes rearwardly to expose the selected envelope. The rear of any selected envelope may be observed by flipping it rearwardly. It is important to note that the envelopes 28 are locked against the vertical or longitudinal movement by reason of the upper corners thereof registering with the recesses 20 and being longitudinally restricted by the fingers 19. In particular, by reason of the inclined faces 24 of the fingers 19 the envelopes may and do assume a flat overlapping condition in either their upwardly or downwardly folded condition, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

While there has been described hereinabove and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A display device comprising a backing sheet, a pair of parallel, longitudinally-extending laterally-spaced support strips mounted on said backing sheet, each of said support strips having longitudinally-spaced, parallel, laterally-extending sockets formed in the inner face thereof, said sockets in said opposite strips being in lateral alignment to define respective pairs thereof, inwardly laterally projecting lugs disposed along and integrally formed with said strips between successive of said sockets,

hinge rods having opposite ends engaging respective pairs of said sockets, a plurality of overlapping longitudinally offset open-ended envelopes, each of said envelopes including a sheet folded along a transverse line delineating a traversely extending hinge edge and a pair of superimposed panels extending longitudinally from said hinge edge, and joined along lateral edges remote from said hinge edge, one of said hinge rods extending transversely through each of said envelopes along a corresponding hinge edge and being normally freely longitudinally movable between said respective panels, opposite ends of said envelope hinge edges being disposed between successive of said lugs to restrict the longitudinal movement of said hinge edges.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein said sockets terminate at points disposed inwardly of the outer faces of said strips.

3. The display device of claim 1, wherein said hinge rods are formed of flexible resilient wire.

4. The display device of claim 1, wherein each of said lugs is provided with inclined rearwardly diverging longitudinally opposite faces.

5. The display device of claim 1, wherein said sockets are defined by grooves formed in the underfaces of said support strips.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 848,245 3 /1907 Horwitz 129-38 966,098 8/1910 Ingraham 12938 1,916,398 7/1933 Unger 12916 1,966,570 7/1934 Weatherford 129-16 2,340,222 1/ 1944 Johnson 40-402 2,638,903 5/1 953 Janovsky et a1. 129--20 X 3,043,737 7/1962 Engelstein et a1 12920 X 3,091,046 5/1963 Engelstein et a1 12930 X FOREIGN PATENTS 595,948 7/ 1925 France. 1,009,967 3/1952 France. 1,017,440 9/ 1952 France. 13,300,319 6/1962 France.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner, 

1. A DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING A BACKING SHEET, A PAIR OF PARALLEL, LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING LATERALLY-SPACED SUPPORT STRIPS MOUNTED ON SAID BACKING SHEET, EACH OF SAID SUPPORT STRIPS HAVING LONGITUDINALLY-SPACED, PARALLEL LATERALLY-EXTENDING SOCKETS FORMED IN THE INNER FACE THEREOF, SAID SOCKETS IN SAID OPPOSITE STRIPS BEING IN LATERAL ALIGNMENT TO DEFINE RESPECTIVE PAIRS THEREOF, INWARDLY LATERALLYPROJECTING LUGS DISPOSED ALONG AND INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH SAID STRIPS BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE OF SAID SOCKETS, HINGE RODS HAVING OPPOSITE ENDS ENGAGING RESPECTIVE PAIRS OF SAID SOCKETS, A PLURALITY OF OVERLAPPING LONGITUDINALLY OFFSET OPEN-ENDED ENVELOPES, EACH OF SAID ENVELOPES INCLUDING A SHEET FOLDED ALONG A TRANSVERSE LINE DELINEATING A TRAVERSELY EXTENDING HINGE EDGE AND A PAIR OF SUPERIMPOSED PANELS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM SAID HINGE EDGE, AND JOINED ALONG LATERAL EDGES REMOTE FROM SAID HINGE EDGE, ONE OF SAID HINGE RODS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY THROUGH EACH OF SAID ENVELOPES ALONG A CORRESPONDING HINGE EDGE AND BEING NORMALLY FREELY LONGITUDINALLY MOVABLE BETWEEN SAID RESPECTIVE PANELS, OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID ENVELOPE HINGE EDGES BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN SUCCESSIVE OF SAID LUGS TO RESTRICT THE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID HINGE EDGES. 